Property Damage!!!

[David4245]

When I put my house up for guests to enjoy, I knew the risks, weighed them, and understood I had to accept some wear and tear. Obviously, when a party occurs, and it has, there is damage where I have to replace things and made my claims on Airbnb. But some damage occurs because of continuous carelessness from many guests and sometimes we see damages that we may have missed and don't know which guest actually did it. For example, we noticed some of our décor and outside statues have either been missing or moved. A kitchen faucet tugged on and bent and extended hose frayed. Wall hung TV pulled from the wall. Blinds broken from guests walking through them while they are closed. Glasses broken. Scratched furniture. Holes in the screen doors. Refrigerator handles broken. Clogged garbage disposer. Wall stains, bedding stains. Holes in the walls. Oil in our driveway.  Many guests just don't tread lightly! These are just some of the damages that happen quickly and the cost is adding up. I would like to know if anyone else is experiencing this too and what they are doing about it.

[Sarah977]

@David4245  I'm unclear on what you mean by not knowing which group of guests caused the damage. Why would you not inspect the property after a guest checks out and before another guest checks in? 

Yes, guests can be hard on things, that's why it's a good idea to set up a place to be as bullet-proof as possible. 

Many guests have never been home owners themselves, have never had to pay for repairs for damage that could have been avoided in the first place by being gentle with things. They've always been renters who just call the landlord when the toilet plugs up because they filled it full of baby wipes.

[Colleen253]

@David4245 Yes, it happens, unfortunately. Rare is the guest who is as careful with your space and belongings as you will be. You may just need to raise your rate a bit, even a few dollars added to the nightly rate will add up over time. You can put that money aside as a special fund for fixing/replacing as needed.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

As @Sarah977  said, you should make your place as bulletproof as possible. Washable wall paint, glass top/metal legs nightstands and tables, waterproof mattress covers, easy to clean carpets and sofas, nice but cheap decorations etc...

Of course, it happens, especially to off-site hosts. We didn't have really expensive damages (knock on wood) but with same-day turnovers, dealing with damages was always very very stressful. We didn't always have time to repair or replace it before our new guests arrived.

[Brenda1216]

Do we have insurance with Airbnb in the event of damages ?